Volume 3 continues the unlikely romance between Sawako, the school outcast, and Kazehaya, the most popular guy in school. While the series has slowly built up the couple's budding friendship and romance, it has always found new ways to trip up their journey. Last time, Sawako has to deal with rumors spread by a rival; this time, Kazehaya has to cope with Kento, a new student who takes a liking to Sawako.
The series kicks off with an "Episode 0," which offers a very brief summary of the first two volumes. This is a great way for newcomers to quickly catch up to the series, but also offers fans a chance to see the events so far from the perspective of the show's villain. I always love looking at events from different perspectives, so I enjoyed the episode more than I thought I would. At the same time, the episode was so different it ruined the rest of the episodes for me.
After introducing the new Sophomore year status quo, which includes Sawako rising above her outcast status and taking classes with her new friends, the series slips into stories that seem to drag. I've always liked the series' approach to romance. Contrary to most movie romances, things are never easy and it takes time to get to know someone. I get that, and enjoyed how the series showed those dynamics in action. It creates drama and keeps the show interesting. Still, there needs to be some give; you can only string audiences on for so long before they expect some sort of payoff. I'm sure some viewers will enjoy the slow tease, but I left the series unsatisfied.
kimi ni todoke – From Me to You – Volume 3 Premium Edition ships with both DVD and Blu-ray formats in one box. There's a noticeable visual bump between the two versions, but it isn't major – so you're covered either way.
The series also ships with a small compliment of extras. There are two shorts featuring characters as fairytale characters, as well as clean versions of the open and close. There's also a full color hard cover book entitled "Their Memories." The book is set up to look like a scrapbook with screens from the series alongside quotes from each episode.
I had my issues with kimi ni todoke – From Me to You – Volume 3 Premium Edition, though I also think some viewers will enjoy the show's slow approach. If you enjoyed the previous volumes and don’t mind a few more obstacles, the third volume is a good pick-up.
